G7 Summit

Matsuno: No Notice over Biden’s Possible Absence of G7

AP Photo/Evan Vucci
Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy of Calif., left, listens as President Joe Biden speaks before a meeting on the debt limit in the Oval Office of the White House, May 9, 2023, in Washington.

Jiji Press

17:17 JST, May 10, 2023

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Japan “has not received any notice from the United States,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said Wednesday, in response to U.S. President Joe Biden’s remark that he may skip the upcoming Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima.

“At the summit, we aim to show the world the G7’s strong will to protect the free and open international order based on the rule of law by working closely also with the United States,” the top government spokesperson told a press conference.

“I’m still committed” to attending the G7 summit, Biden said Tuesday after meeting with congressional leaders on the ongoing standoff over the federal debt ceiling earlier in the day. But he added that he “would stay” until the issue is resolved, noting that it is “the single most important thing that’s on the agenda.”